• Imam Monawar Imam Monawar Hussain

    Monawar was born in Taplow, Berkshire and grew up in Maidenhead.  Upon leaving school he moved to Oxford and at the age of 18 purchased a rundown petrol station in rural Oxfordshire.  Within 5 years he had turned a £10,000 investment into a business generating sales of just under £2,000,000 a year, doubling fuel volume, trebling shop sales and employing five members of staff.  During this period he established an international trading company primarily involved in sourcing raw materials from manufacturers in the Far East.  Although on occasions he designed various sports wear with manufacturing in China, Hong Kong and South Korea.  Monawar believes business to be an incredible educator which he says has and continues to be a hugely enriching experience.  Many of Monawar's business competitors have closed down because of supermarket competition; nonetheless he continues to serve his local villages, recently celebrating some 25 years of fuel retailing in Oxfordshire. 

     

    Whilst operating the business Monawar continued with his education.  First, reading (part-time) Law and Retail Management at Oxford Brookes University.  In 1995 he decided to commit himself to full time education reading Theology at the University of Oxford and later training as an Imam under the late Shaykh Zaki Badawi KBE at the Muslim College, London.  He is currently translating a major work of one of the leading reformist Sufi masters of the early 20th century Punjab from Urdu to English so as to introduce this work to the English speaking world.  This is also part of a doctoral research project. 

     

    Monawar has spoken at many educational institutes and forums throughout the UK, and has featured in a number of television documentaries, magazines and newspapers.  In 2008 he devised and successfully piloted 'The Oxford Muslim Pupils' Empowerment Programme' that sought to engage Muslim pupils' within a school context through Islamic learning, drama, art, music and free debate and discussion exploring issues specifically of concern to them.  This has been highlighted nationally by government and teacher training organisations are utilising it to train teachers. 

     

    He has also served as a Commissioner on the Commission for the Future of Volunteering and various other panels seeking his expertise.  Monawar continues to support the work of Volunteering England, is passionate about interfaith work (recently establishing the Oxford Council of Faiths) and has led on a number of ground breaking initiatives in the fields of interfaith and education.